Black Dog, White Owl
by GoldenAerie
Summary: Sarah is living her life as a solitary author when she starts to notice a black thing following her. Sarah/Jareth.
1. Chapter 1

**Before we get going with the fan fic, I want to invite you all to the facebook group . I also want to invite you to check out my Labyrinth fan site (still in the works, but it's up) - dreampeaches . com I love hearing feedback!**

1

 _To His Royal Majesty, Jareth the Goblin King;_

 _Your Girl finished writing her book this week. She sent it off to her publisher and seemed very excited about it. My notes say that it is her sixth one. I followed her to the store and some other shops, but nothing eventful happened. She still spends most of her time alone and at home, keeping busy._

 _She may suspect a little bit of something. I think she heard me when she was out for her run on Wednesday because she stopped and called out "Hello?" Don't worry, Sire, she will never see me._

 _\- Merf_

Sarah Williams was bent over her kitchen counter going page by page through a cookbook. She was looking for an idea for dinner, but nothing really sounded good. She stood up and sought out a cup of coffee. It was her regular morning ritual. Wake up around 3am, get some coffee, figure out what to make for lunch or dinner, check email, maybe watch something, and then go for a run as soon as the dawn light touched the sky. She took a big whiff of her coffee and smiled. It was her favorite part of the morning. No other cup of coffee smelled as good as that first one.

Going back to her cookbook, she mused "Maybe fish tonight."

She flipped to the fish and seafood section and began a new search. She gave it a few minutes and decided that her brain was up for deciding on dinner quite yet. Sarah moseyed over to the small dining table, where a tv remote and a notebook had been left from the previous night. She turned the television on to the weather channel. She wasn't too concerned about the fall weather, but it gave her the sense that she wasn't completely alone in her small house.

She moved from leaning against the dining table to sitting in a chair that faced the television in the other room. She had a love-hate relationship with her sleep schedule. She loved the notion of sleeping in, but she also loved her early morning time. Today, she wished she was able to sleep in beyond 3am, but her body and mind just weren't having any of it. Her last two years of high school, after "the incident", were spent staying up late and waking up early. Her parents had worried at first, but since she kept quiet during the odd hours and kept her grades up, she was sure they had written it off as a "teenage thing".

The drawing in front of her was a doodle of Sir Didymus. It was rather cartoony, but it made her smile. Sarah had written about her friends in a series of novels called The Magic Forest series after finishing college. She imagined them solving mysteries and going on quests, saving a few damsels in distress. Sarah picked up the pencil next to the notebook and did a quick doodle of a form that looked a bit like Hoggle.

"…In the northeastern part of town, you can expect the light rain along with some fog from the river" The weather channel reported. Sarah glanced up. There was a map of her area with temperatures and weather symbols, but no person – just a voice. The weather had been the same for the whole week. Light rain with fog, but by the afternoon the sun would peek through the clouds.

Sarah finished her little doodle and got up to wander around her house as she was prone to doing. Her front door was still locked, no one strange lurked outside on her small front lawn, her living room was still the way she left it, her patio door was still locked, and the lights were off in the two bedrooms and study. Her house was fairly modern in style. Surprising her family, who knew jokingly referred to her as "Sloppy Sarah", she kept an ultra-tidy house with minimal décor. The décor she had were pieces she had taken the time to decide on. She had changed during college from a sloppy teenager to a clean adult, for the most part. Her study was an explosion of her interests, but her study was now where she spent a great deal of time.

She heard the sound of something brush against the floor, just briefly. She turned to look down the hallway, where the noise had come from, but saw nothing.

"Hello?" Sarah called out. She had been hearing weird noises for the past few months, but there was never anything there. She leaned her head back and stretched her neck. "I'm going mental."

She sat back down at the table and continued to doodle. Sarah's phone, an actual landline phone, rang near 4am.

"Hello?" Sarah asked upon answering. She didn't like cellphones much and decided to just go back to a landline and answering machine.

"I'm just making sure you're awake" A male voice said with a slightly sassy tone. "Pour me some coffee. I'm almost there."

The line went dead and Sarah hung up. She pulled out a coffee mug, poured a cup, and went to unlock her front door. When she had moved into her house, after her first book had been published, she had become friends with a slightly flamboyant guy named Reese. She waited for him to make his way down the street, up her driveway, and into her house. He was in his pajamas and robe.

"You're up early" Sarah said. He stepped out of his slippers and followed her into the dining room where his coffee was.

"We had a major fight last night" Reese tiredly reported. "I think that bitch is moving out today and good riddance. Mike was unable to handle this much Reese."

"Does this mean that tonight is a wine night?" Sarah asked. Reese nodded while he sipped his coffee. "Want to go running with me? It might help take your mind off of Mike."

"Good one" Reese said. "I love how you try to kill me every morning." He looked at the drawing in front of her. "Is that the Sir Didymus guy?"

"Yep, and Hoggle" Sarah said pointing to Hoggle.

"I don't know how you came up with all of the fantasy stuff, but I guess it sure sells" Reese said with approval. He ran a hand through his well maintained hair. "Hear anything from your publisher yet?"

"Not yet" Sarah replied. "It usually takes a few weeks for them to go through the manuscript."

The two talked until Reese's phone beeped at him with an alarm. He headed home and promised to bring something delicious for that night's wine fest. Reese had quickly become Sarah's best friend over the last five years and kept her social. Karen, Sarah's stepmother, had asked if Reese had a mind for "switching teams". Sarah had rolled her eyes and chided her for being outdated. She was not going to date her gay neighbor.

She went to her bedroom and changed from her flannel pajamas and robe to her exercise clothes and a hoodie. Dawn would be happening in the next hour and a half. Changing didn't take more than a few minutes at the most. Sarah paused at the wall hung mirror next to her door. It was part of her morning routine.

"Hoggle? I need you" Sarah said firmly. She gave it a long pause, but nothing happened. After that one night, her friends disappeared from her life just as quickly as they had entered it.

The run was good that morning. The air was crisp and it wasn't too chilly out. Sarah liked to run a 3-mile trail that went steeply up the side of a butte, around the top, and back down the same way she had gone up. She would occasionally come across deer, rabbits, and foxes. This morning there were no animals on her path. She had run up the side of the butte and caught her breath at the top before running the rest of the trail.

As Sarah ran the trail, she had the unique feeling of being watched. She stopped running after the feeling didn't immediately leave. This wasn't the first time she had this feeling. She was sure she heard a little critter move in the woods, crunching some fall leaves. The light rain was just enough to leave her unsure. She scanned the woods and saw something that looked like a shadow. Sarah couldn't quite make heads or tails of what she was looking at. Was it a figure or a tree?

She didn't waste time trying to work it out. She took off hoping that she wouldn't be followed.

Through the cover of a leafy fern, a small goblin watched as the shadowy figure quickly faded away.

"How was your day dear?" Reese asked as he stormed Sarah's kitchen with a bag full of groceries. He pulled out two bottles of red wine, a pumpkin pie, and a bag of gummy worms. Sarah had cashew chicken on the stove.

"Pretty dull today" Sarah replied with a smile. "Have I ever told you that sometimes I feel like I'm being followed?"

"Once or twice" Reese said. He removed his coat and went to drape it over the back of a chair at the table.

"I think I saw someone when I went running today" Sarah said while she stirred her chicken.

"Was he at least cute?" Reese asked with an eyebrow waggle. Sarah smiled and shook her head.

"I just saw a dark figure in the woods, so I don't know" Sarah replied. "It's possible that it was just a tree."

"Well fear not" Reese announced. "I have brought a movie to take your mind off of your tree shadow and mine off of Mike." Sarah pulled out two plates and two forks. "'Blazing Saddles'."

Sarah laughed and began to dish up the plates with rice, sautéed veggies, and the cashew chicken. Reese opened a bottle of wine and got the film set up. The two worked like a well-oiled machine. If one of them was having trouble, they opted to have a wine night where they would eat a lovely meal, drink a fair amount of wine, and watch something to lift their spirits.

"It smells great" Reese said bringing the pie and gummy worms out to the table.

"Why did you get those worms, Reese?" Sarah asked as he plopped the bag down next to the pie.

"Because I'm healthy as fuck" Reese retorted with a big smile. Reese and Sarah enjoyed each other's company while thoroughly enjoying the classic Mel Brooks film.

 _To His Royal Majesty, Jareth the Goblin King;_

 _There is a black shadow following Your Girl. Showed up in the woods. Advise._

 _\- Merf_


	2. Chapter 2

Sarah woke up, like clockwork, at 3am. She wanted to go back to sleep. She heard a light thump from the hallway and sat upright. Her head was a little groggy from the wine, but it seemed to clear up pretty fast as she listened again for another sound. The television had been left on dvd-mode and was casting a terrible blue light over the living room. Sarah moved quietly and turned it off, plunging the room into darkness.

Sarah had fallen asleep on part of the couch, her legs resting on the only ottoman, while Reese stretched out on the rest of the couch. Sarah covered Reese, who had drunk more wine than her, and tip-toed to the kitchen. If she was going to be awake after only 3 hours of sleep, she was going to have a very large cup of coffee.

She waited by the stove with the hood light on for the coffee to brew. As soon as it was done, she filled her cup. Luckily, due to her clean nature, she had picked up almost everything from the night before. The pie tin was empty and rested on the coffee table along with two forks. Two wine glasses were beside it. Next to Reese's glass was a crumpled gummy worm bag. Sarah quietly stepped over to the coffee table to pick up the tin, forks, and gummy worm wrapper with one hand.

Through the large front window that looked out to her front yard and the street, Sarah saw an oddly large black dog sitting on the sidewalk watching her. She nearly dropped everything. The sight was strange and that prickly feeling of being watched came over her again. A twitching shiver ran down her back. Could the dog even see her in the dark room? Before she could really question it, a flash of white came out of the sky. It was a white barn owl and it landed on her lawn. Sarah put the tin, holding the forks and wrapper, down, but kept her eyes on the window. The black dog barked and slinked away down the street. The barn owl hopped and flapped its wings. As soon as the dog was out of sight, the owl looked back at her.

 _Oh my god_ , Sarah thought to herself. She hurried over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it wide. The owl was already in mid-flight.

"Jareth?" Sarah called out. The bird flew over the house and disappeared.

"What'sgoingon?" Reese slurred through sleep.

"Nothing" Sarah said. _I'm going completely nuts._ "Nothing, go back to sleep."

"Shut the goddamn door" Reese groaned half-asleep. Sarah rolled her eyes and shut the door, locking the deadbolt in the process. Reese pulled the blanket he was under over his head. Sarah took her coffee into the bathroom with her. She looked a little haphazard to put it lightly. She sipped her coffee and waited for the sink water to warm up. Sarah splashed warm water on her face. Her fingers waved through the air until she found the blue hand towel. Sarah liked how her face felt after drying it off. It made her feel more alert.

She sipped her coffee and looked at herself in the mirror. She brushed her hair as she mentally gave herself a pep talk. _There is nothing outside. What you saw must have just been some kind of coincidence. You've been trying to call Hoggle and the others for twelve years now and nothing has ever happened. Put something comfortable on and go work on a project._

Sarah tied her hair back in a bun and headed for her bedroom. She took off the jeans she had fallen asleep in and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. She removed her socks and slid a pair of slippers on. She was already feeling better.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Sarah stopped and listened. The tapping continued from her bedroom window. She pulled off her shirt from the night before and pulled a hoodie on. It was Saturday and she intended to be comfortable. Curious about the noise, Sarah tossed last night's clothes into her hamper and went to peek between the blinds.

She heard the familiar brush on the floor as her fingers reached out for the blinds. She glanced back, but only saw the space she had just occupied. She sighed and peered out between the blinds that her fingers held apart. She couldn't see much of anything. The light from her room reflected off the window.

Sarah hit the lights and went back over to the window. She peered out again expecting to find her quiet neighborhood, perhaps a branch from her neighbor's large oak causing the tapping noise. Instead she let out a startled noise. It was as close to a scream as she ever made. A black figure stood at her window. She couldn't really make out any features other than dark hair fluttering in the wind and light rain. Its eyes were reflective, like a cat or some kind of night animal. Sarah couldn't help but stare at it.

Slowly, she realized that it was moving. It raised a hand with one long thin finger and tapped three times on the glass.

That was enough!

Sarah stepped back and flipped the lights on. She looked at her mirror, frightened of her own reflection for a moment.

"Sir Didymus! I need you!" Sarah whispered harshly to the mirror. Nothing happened. "Dammit!" Sarah moved to the hall and flipped the light on. "Reese!" Sarah heard a little grumble. "Reese, there's someone outside my window!"

"What?" Reese sat up as fast as his slightly hung over self could muster. She pulled the blanket from his legs so he wouldn't trip. "Someone's outside?"

"They were tapping on my window" Sarah said. Reese stood up and rubbed his face.

"How's…my hair?" Reese said stretching his neck.

"Beautiful" Sarah replied with a head shake. Reese ran a hand through it and grabbed the blanket from Sarah. He wrapped it around him and went to the front door. "Reese, what if he has a gun or something?"

"I have the blanket of power" Reese tiredly replied. He unlocked the door and opened it. He pushed the storm door open after scanning the yard and stood on the front stoop. "I don't see anything Sarah."

Sarah went over and stood next to him.

"I swear I saw something" Sarah said with a slight hysteric tone. "It tapped on my window."

"Anyone out there?" Reese called out. The neighborhood was quiet. The rain pattered down softly and a light wind blew through the dried stalks of irises in Sarah's roadside flower bed. "Who's out there?"

"I saw its eyes. They were reflective, like a cat or something" Sarah whispered to him. There was a short huff from the side of the house and the large black dog from the street bolted from the house, across the lawn, and off into the neighborhood.

"Holy shit!" Reese said with a jump. "Is that what you saw? That dog?"

It had not been what Sarah had seen. "I don't know."

"I'm going back to sleep" Reese stated. He went back inside. Sarah watched the direction the dog had run off to, making sure it didn't come back, before going inside.

 _To His Royal Majesty, Jareth the Goblin King;_

 _Black dog runs in circles here._

 _\- Merf_

Sarah felt a pang of guilt as she watched the clock move into the 7 o'clock range. She didn't want to go running. Reese was passed out in the guest room now. Sarah had already picked up the living room, washed the dishes in the sink, and had made an omelet for breakfast. Try as she might to forget about it, she kept checking her windows for the black dog.

By noon, Reese had left. Sarah had taken a quick shower and putzed around the house. Now she was making a quick grilled ham and cheese sandwich to go with the tomato soup that was heating up on the stove. It was a fast favorite meal to make. Sarah stood next to her sink with her bowl of soup and small plate that held her sandwich. She ate her meal there. She had a nice view of her gated backyard. It wasn't anything spectacular, but she did like to see if any birds had been eating from the bird feeder.

The fall weather had turned nearly all the leaves yellow and red. The wind and rain had battered them to the ground. Wasn't yard work ever done? Sarah ate quickly and headed out to rake up her yard. It didn't take a terribly long time to rake up the leaves. Sarah liked keeping up her yard. It was a good excuse to go outside, away from her writing and art, and it looked nice. She went around to the front yard with her garbage bag of leaves and rake. The front wasn't as covered in leaves as the back had been. Curious, she couldn't help but check out her bedroom windows. The bottom of the window was at the same level of Sarah's nose. There weren't any tracks on the ground.

She heard her kitchen phone ring. She hurried inside and picked up the line.

"Hello?" Sarah said.

"Sarah!" Came Karen's happy voice. Sarah smiled.

"Hey Karen" Sarah said. "What's going on?"

"We haven't talk to you in a while" Karen replied. Sarah rolled her eyes. Karen hadn't talked to her in three days. Three whole days. "Your father and I have been thinking about having a fall dinner party."

"You mentioned that" Sarah said absently. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out a small bottle of perrier.

"Could you bring something?" Karen asked. "Maybe a dessert?"

"Sure. Anything in particular?" Sarah asked. "Pumpkin pie?"

"Oh no. Your brother is making a pumpkin pie" Karen said. Toby was currently 14 years old and had decided that cooking was his priority in life. Alton Brown was his current hero. "Maybe something that isn't pie."

"Okay" Sarah said with an eye roll. "What's Toby's new kick now?"

"He told me yesterday that he wants to explore eggplant" Karen sighed. "Your father is NOT going to be happy. I just hope it's not like the brussel sprout kick." Sarah laughed. She recalled that Karen had the smell of boiled brussel sprouts in her house for a few days. "At least Toby isn't one of those picky eaters."

"I'll make something and surprise you" Sarah said calming Karen's nerves. Sarah took a sip of her sparkling water and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Are you going to bring anyone?" Karen asked. "You can always bring Reese. He's adorable."

"I don't know" Sarah replied. Her eyes stopped on a piece of fruit. It was near her fruit bowl, but it wasn't in the fruit bowl. She felt herself choke on water when she realized that it wasn't an orange. "Karen, I need to go."

"Okay. Call me later" Karen said in her perky way.

"I will" Sarah said. "Bye."

Sarah hung up the phone and went over to the fruit. It was a single peach. Not a nectarine, nothing that came out of her fruit bowl – bananas, gala apples, and a few navels. It was a peach. Sarah set her perrier down and picked up the fuzzy fruit. It smelled perfect. She set it back down. She needed to take care of her bag of leaves and then she could focus on it.

Sarah hurried outside. She tied the bag closed and stuffed it into her garbage can. Inside, the peach was right where she had left it.


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE: It's nice to chat with people on the facebook group. Just an FYI, Marysia just re-instated her old Labyrinth site and is on the facebook group. If you want to join us, the group name is**

Sarah had kept the peach with her for the rest of the day. She had spent some time in her study, but writing time had easily become internet surfing time. She didn't have her next book outlined or anything yet. The peach sat on top of a few books that Sarah constantly used; books that had a permanent home on her desk.

She thought of all the reasons for the peach to be there. Perhaps Reese had brought it over. If it was from Jareth, why didn't he just appear to her? Did she have to eat it? Was it a trick? Did that black dog thing leave it for her? Question after question rattled her mind. Finally, she shut her computer off and stood up for a stretch. Her lower back cracked and she let out a sigh. She felt restless.

When feeling restless after being cooped up at home all day, getting out is essential, even if it is just to the grocery store. Sarah had slipped on a pair of jeans. She didn't like the idea of herself becoming one of those people who went everywhere in sweatpants or pajama bottoms or yoga pants. She had a basket on her arm and she went up and down the aisles, browsing and looking for something to inspire her. She thought about the fall dinner party and tried to come up with an idea.

In the produce she found a fresh batch of pears. Pears could make a good autumn dessert. Sarah smiled and found four sizeable pears. She didn't have much else in her basket, but pears would work. On a whim, as she was leaving produce, Sarah grabbed a small section of ginger root. Pear and ginger combined nicely.

The trip to the grocery store, simply to return with four pears, ginger root, and two small cups of yogurt, had taken her nearly forty minutes. She sighed when she got to her vehicle. Time could fly when you stopped paying attention to it. She drove the five minutes back to her house and was pleased with the lack of traffic that Saturday night. She had chosen her neighborhood for its friendly, yet strong solitary feel.

Sarah pulled into her driveway and immediately panicked. She could see her kitchen light on. Had she left it on? She was sure she had turned it off. Was Reese over? Wouldn't he have texted first? She gripped the steering wheel, tempted to drive away. She frowned at her house.

 _That's MY house_ , Sarah told herself. _Whoever is in there is going to have their ass handed to them._ Sarah grabbed her grocery bag and marched up to her house. She locked her car door, unlocked her front door, and stepped inside.

"Who the fuck is in here?!" Sarah called out. There was no response. Sarah flipped on the living room light and the hall light – since they were right next to each other. She didn't hear anything. She stormed into her kitchen was found it empty. The peach she had carried around with her during the day was sitting next to the sink again, this time it was on something. Sarah looked around, as if someone was about to jump out of a shadow at her. She lifted the peach and found a heavy grade of paper folded and sealed on her counter. The seal was red wax and had the imprint of an owl.

"Oh no" Sarah breathed. She put the peach down and popped the seal with her thumb. In elegant scrawl, the note read: " _Sarah, It has come to my attention that you have a creature lurking about. Do not think lightly on the matter. Say the right words. HRH J_ "

"The right words" Sarah mused. "That's real helpful."

She couldn't help it. Her mind reeled and thought of all the magical phrases and possible 'right words' that he could be meaning. She put her groceries away and decided to forget everything. She needed to relax and she would start with a bath. Sarah locked her doors, drew the curtains over the windows and got ready for her bath.

She turned a little radio into the bathroom and turned it on. Music made taking a bath fairly delightful in Sarah's opinion. She quickly got into the bathtub as it filled up and took a fashion magazine with her. She slumped in the tub and waited for the water to fill it up. Sarah flipped through a few pages and eventually turned the water off when the tub was full. The radio was playing 80s music and Sarah hummed along. She was feeling better already.

She flipped through the magazine, not looking to read anything, but glance at the pictures. She stopped on a full page ad, near the center of the magazine. There was a woman with windblown hair who wore something that passed as clothes. She was holding a peach and looking directly at the camera suggestively. To the left of the picture was a close up of a liquor bottle. The ad said: " _Saying the right words will get you everything. Ask for Peach Qream."_ Sarah shook her head and turned the page where she found celebrity gossip and a boring ad for a taupe purse.

After half an hour, the bath cooled enough to chase Sarah out. She had managed to put her magazine down so she could shave her legs. She dried herself off and slipped into her sweatpants and hoodie, just as before. Sarah clicked the radio off and was greeted by the well-known silence of the house.

Sarah padded through her house, intent on figuring out how to relax a little more without going crazy. She turned her television on, hoping something would grab her attention, and retrieved one of the yogurts from earlier. When she left the kitchen, she was surprised to see a slight flash of red and blue peeking from between her curtains. Sarah pulled back her curtains with a one-handed tug and watched as a police officer came up her walkway.

Sarah hurried to the door and opened it. The policeman was about ready to knock. "What's happened? My parents?"

"We're responding to a call about a prowler ma'am" The policeman replied. "Are you Sarah Williams?"

"Yes, sir" Sarah said.

"Mrs. Williams" The police officer said. "Are you aware of any peculiar activity going on around here? Strange people in the neighborhood?"

"It's Miss Williams" Sarah corrected. The officer was a young black man with smiling eyes. "I just got out of the bath, so I haven't seen anything peculiar. I was out cleaning up my yard today and didn't see anything."

"We had a neighbor of yours call the station to report a tall man in dark clothing looming about, looking in your windows" The office replied. "Would you mind if we take a look around?"

"Absolutely not" Sarah said. She was sure her eyes were big as plates. The thing had been here while she had been in the tub. The officer stepped down from the front stoop. "I'm a writer."

"Excuse me?" The officer said.

"I'm a writer and maybe it's a weird fan or something" Sarah said. The officer nodded.

"I will check back in with you once we take a look around" The officer replied. Sarah closed the door and went back to her front window. The other officer got out of the police car. They both had their flashlights out since it was dark outside. One officer went one way; the other went the opposite way around the house. She heard her side gate unlock and open. Sarah caught a glimpse of white in her peripheral and turned to watch a small white owl land on a telephone pole.

Sarah's mind thought about the note and she gave it a try. "I wish the Goblin King was here." There wasn't a show of goblins or glitter or crystal balls. Sarah made a face. It was her usual problem solving face with her lips pressed together and shifted to the side of her face. She ate her yogurt and waited for the police to finish looking around. She felt ridiculous for having spoken words aloud that didn't work. The knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, officer?" Sarah asked after opening the door.

"Ma'am, we found some scuff marks near the windows over at the corner of the house" The officer said gesturing to Sarah's bedroom windows. "Are you aware of anyone who would be doing this?"

"No one in particular" Sarah said. "I had a book signing a few months ago, but I didn't notice anyone creepy or out of the ordinary."

"Any threatening letters or strange calls?" The officer prompted. Sarah shook her head 'no'. The officer pulled a business card from his breast pocket of his raincoat. "I want you to have my card. If you can think of anything, no matter how minute, give me a call."

"Thanks" Sarah said glancing at the white card.

"We're going to run heavy patrols of the area for the next few days" The officer said trying to be comforting. "Keep your doors locked and be extra vigilant."

"Thank you" Sarah said. She was sure she sounded perturbed, at the very least. The policemen returned to their car and pulled out of her driveway. Sarah shut the door and locking it. She frowned. Anger and fear mixed in her chest. "What the hell? This needs to be straightened out RIGHT NOW! I can't live like this!"

Sarah stormed over to her couch and flipped channels until she found Jurassic Park. Her brain simply told her: _Acceptable_. She lay down, stretched out on her couch and pulled a blanket over her. She was determined to ignore everything, except for what the television presented her with.

Sarah stirred. She heard the theme song from the movie. She opened her eyes and saw the credits rolling. She groaned and sat up. She hadn't caught most of the movie. She wrapped the blanket around her, like a cloak, and looked for the remote. There was a knock at her door. Sarah clicked the television off and padded over to the door. She peered out the peephole and saw nothing. She pulled her blanket a little closer and looked again. Still nothing.

Sarah stepped back and gave it an eye roll. There was another knock on the door. Sarah just backed up and shook her head. The dark hallway loomed to her right and she rushed to flip on the light. She grumbled her herself and went into the kitchen. She filled her kettle with water and put it on the stove. Her front door was pounded on. She didn't budge. Instead she waited for her kettle to heat up. Her lights flickered and the door was quiet. Sarah looked at the lights. They flickered again before going out.

Three taps came from the sliding glass door that led to her backyard. Sarah ducked down, so she was below the counter. The thing probably saw her. She heard another three taps. Sarah felt clammy in the dark. Her heart was racing now.

"I wish the Goblin King was here" Sarah whispered. The three tappings happened again. "Right now. Right now would be good."

There was a firm knock at the door. Sarah stood up. In the dark she could see the black figure at her back door. When she stood up it tapped another three times and its eyes shined with silvery reflectiveness. Sarah bolted for the front door and flung it open. She let out a startled noise when she saw a person on her stoop holding her storm door open.

"Took you long enough" The man said.


	4. Chapter 4

Jareth stood on Sarah's stoop looking just as commanding as Sarah remembered. He was wearing an outfit similar to what he wore in the Escher Room. A glowing crystal was in his hand, so she could see him. Sarah closed her mouth. Had it been open? He pushed passed her and let her shut the door.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked. Jareth handed the crystal to Sarah and looked at the room. He stepped into the living room and saw the shadowy figure at her back door. The large figure hissed and backed away. Sarah moved to stand next to Jareth. She watched the shadowy figure jump over her back fence. The lights came on as soon as the figure left. "What is that?"

"Hopefully something that won't come back" Jareth replied. The crystal Sarah had been holding popped. He finally looked at her and cocked his head to the side. "What are you wearing?" He shook his head and guided her to the dining room table. "We should talk."

Sarah unwrapped herself from the blanket, draping it over the back of her chair. Her kettle whispered and then began to whistle. She hurried around to the stove and turned the heat off. It occurred to her that the man who had frightened her, in more ways than one, was sitting at her dining table.

"Tea?" Sarah asked. She didn't really give him time to answer. She pulled out two mugs, filled them with hot water, and grabbed two bags of tea. She sat down and began opening her tea bag. Her hands were shaking. It was evident when she put the tea bag into the mug. "What do you want me to call you?"

"Most would call me Your Majesty" Jareth replied. He sat back in his seat watching her. She was nervous. "Since we are not in my kingdom, I suppose you could call me Jareth."

"Did you send that thing?" Sarah asked incredulously. She wrapped her hands around the hot mug. Was she to believe him? Confusion swirled in Sarah's brain, alongside of the fear the black creature and relief from Jareth's presence.

"It's not from my kingdom" Jareth stated. He picked up the tea bag and sniffed it. "One of my agents told me of its presence here."

"Your agents?" Sarah said. She scrunched her face. "Have you been spying on me?"

Jareth leaned towards Sarah, his eyes narrowing and a smile crossing his face. "You were the first in a very long time to solve the Labyrinth. Of course, I kept tabs on you." Sarah watched him open his tea bag and drop it into his mug. She had a ton of questions for him and she wasn't sure where to start. "Say what's on your mind, Sarah."

"What was that thing? Can you stop it? Do I have to stop it? Why is it here?" Sarah spouted off. She had more questions, but clenched her jaw shut.

"It could be a few things" Jareth replied. "I haven't exactly asked it for a name or anything. It might be a bogle or a pooka. Those would be my first two guesses."

"Not to sound ungrateful for you being here" Sarah started. "But, what do you want? Help is rarely free."

"I know exactly what I want" Jareth smirked. He sipped his tea. "We will discuss it later."

Sarah felt her jaw shake with tension. She was suddenly chilled. She took a sip of tea and hoped that Jareth didn't notice. There was a lingering awkward feeling filling up the room. It was given a boost when Jareth's glove gave a tiny creak and his boots clicked on the floor.

"I should go to bed soon" Sarah said, mostly to herself. She sipped her tea and glanced at the glass patio door.

"I'll take the guest room" Jareth stated. Sarah's eyebrows rose up and she nearly sputtered her tea all over the table.

"What?" Sarah asked. Jareth chuckled. In her mind, Toby's voice called her "sloppy Sarah" when she noticed the dribbled tea in front of her. She got up and retrieved a rag from the sink. There wasn't much tea on the table, but it was enough to make her blush. "Sorry."

"You asked for me to be here, presumably to help you, right?" Jareth asked. Sarah tossed the rag into the sink and sat back down.

"Yes" Sarah said in a tired voice. Jareth reached out and gently covered her right hand with his left.

"I'm here to help you. Really" Jareth reassured her. Sarah pulled her hand away and stared at him. She wasn't sure if she could trust him. She wanted to. He had chased off the monster.

"How long is that going to be?" Sarah asked. She stood up and Jareth copied her. She flipped the kitchen and dining room lights off. She moved into the living room with Jareth just a step behind her.

"However long it takes" Jareth replied as if it was obvious. Sarah took a deep breath.

"So days, maybe a week, maybe forever" Sarah interpreted from his answer. _Accept his help_ , Sarah's brain suggested. _You don't even know what that thing outside IS_. She turned and looked at him. "You're going to have to blend in."

"What do you mean?" Jareth asked. Sarah pulled her curtains shut.

"Well, you're…" Sarah started. Her brain was telling her that she needed to be tactful. "You've been around here, right?"

"You've seen me" Jareth replied.

"If Reese was to come over, you just…You don't really fit in" Sarah finally said. She crossed the room and checked the front door, making sure the locks were locked. "I'm sorry, Jareth. I'm not trying to be mean about it or anything." Sarah turned back to him and found him standing there in jeans and a gray t-shirt. He nearly looked normal. "Hair too."

Jareth gave her a look. "As you wish." He ran his hands through his hair and when he was done it had been cropped, reminding her of the Bowie album cover 'Low'. "How is that? Better?"

"How did you-?" Sarah couldn't help but stare at him. Jareth smiled. Despite her having run his Labyrinth, she was mystified by the simplest of magic. He was just as attractive as he was with long hair. Sarah swallowed before speaking again. "I—I'm going to get to bed now." Jareth hit the light switch for the living room and it darkened. He noticed how Sarah's pace quickened just slightly until she passed under a light, where she visibly relaxed. "The guest room is across from mine at the end of the hall."

"I'll check both rooms out" Jareth replied stepping past her. Sarah stepped into the bathroom and leaned against the sink. Her night was so surreal. She turned the faucet on and went through her process of brushing her teeth and using the toilet. She looked at herself and noticed the bags forming under her eyes.

 _Embrace the surreal moment_ , Sarah told herself a few times. She left the bathroom and found Jareth waiting for her in the hallway between the two bedrooms.

"They're safe" Jareth reported. Jareth pointed to her study door. "What is that room?"

"My study" Sarah said. She opened the door and flipped the light on. The room was cluttered with art and trinkets, books, a few antiques, and other such things. Jareth peered over her shoulder and smiled.

"Well, well" Jareth happily chided. "There's the Sarah I know."

Sarah turned the light off and pushed Jareth from her study, shutting the door behind her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Your house is so…"Jareth trailed off. His face told Sarah that he was looking for the right word.

"Its minimalist" Sarah replied. "Clutter causes anxiety."

"You like to write in an anxious state?" Jareth asked looking at the study door. Sarah moved to her bedroom doorway.

"It doesn't work that way" Sarah said. "You'd think it would, but it doesn't." She wasn't sure if she wanted to fall asleep in her bedroom. That creature had been outside of her window not even 24 hours ago. She gave a nervous smile to Jareth. "Maybe I'll just clean for a while."

He didn't let her move from the doorway and ended up resting an ungloved hand on her shoulder. Sarah glanced at his hand and was pretty sure he always wore gloves all those years ago. His nails were shiny and slightly opalescent. Her brain gave her an image of hands playing a piano. She had to agree, it was the hand of a piano player.

"You need to go to bed" Jareth said softly. "You look completely bushed." He ushered her into the room. "There is nothing here that can harm you."

"That thing—" Sarah started to say and point to the window.

"It's gone" Jareth stated sharply. "It won't be back tonight. It knows I'm here." Sarah didn't look very reassured. Jareth cocked his head a little and clapped his hands twice. "Merf, come out."

The familiar brushing sound on the floor came from her closet. Sarah watched as a small ugly little goblin came out. He was fairly roly-poly and stood perhaps a foot tall.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Merf said in a rough voice.

"Sarah, this is Merf" Jareth introduced. Sarah looked between the two of them. "He's my agent who has been keeping tabs on you."

"Madame" Merf said with a small bow. "Your books are very entertaining."

"You've read my stuff?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Of course" Merf replied. "Part of my job."

"I could leave Merf here with you for the night" Jareth suggested. The round goblin promptly climbed up onto Sarah's bed and sat there. "If anything happens, he can alert us." Jareth took a step closer to Sarah, invading her space ever so slightly. "No one and no 'thing' will harm you tonight. I promise you that."

Sarah nodded. He was surely captivating, goblin attire or human, long hair or short. More importantly, Sarah found that she believed every word he was saying.

"Merf can stay" Sarah finally agreed. The goblin made a gleeful sound and rolled around the bed until he found a comfortable spot at the corner.

Jareth stepped back, his intimidating aura fading. He stepped out to the hall and simply said "Good night, Sarah."

He shut the door, leaving Sarah to turn off the light and crawl into bed.

Sarah found herself watching her digital alarm clock turn from 2:59 to 3:00. She groaned and pushed herself out of bed. She didn't care if the little goblin saw her in her underwear while she pulled her sweatpants on. She grabbed a bra and softly headed for the bathroom.

Merf was waiting for her in the kitchen. He was on the counter eating an apple. She watched him while she made coffee.

"How long have you been around here?" Sarah asked.

The goblin finished chewing before he answered. "Seven years, 58 days, and 42 hours." He pulled a watch from his small side bag and held it out to her. "See?"

"Seven years?" Sarah said taken aback. "That means, you were with me when I was finishing college."

"You write a lot" Merf said nodding. "Then, now…write, write, write, draw, draw, draw." He finished talking and took another big bite of the apple.

"You never came out to say hello to me" Sarah stated. When she was younger, she had just assumed that the goblins were silly, bumbling creatures. Reflecting on it now, she guessed that they were actually quite astute at whatever it was that they did. She had heard his shuffling now and then, but never once saw him. The coffee pot was slowly filling up and Sarah took a deep whiff of the aroma. "You read my work? Why?"

"My orders are simple" Merf said. "Take notes on what you do, collect copies of your work if it appears to be of interest to the King, and keep an eye on you." Merf rotated the apple for his next bite. "I read, he reads."

Sarah waited quietly for Jareth to wake up. She was in her study when she heard his door open around 5am. She had her reading glasses on and was nursing a large cup of coffee. She heard him head into the bathroom. Merf had scampered into the study, out of the study, up the hall, down the hall, and was now who-knows-where. Sarah looked up from her computer when Jareth finally came into her study.

"Good morning" Jareth greeted. He plopped down in a big chair that faced her desk. Sarah had been reading the news.

"Good morning" Sarah said with a smile. Jareth's hair was a little messy from sleep and he wasn't fully awake. "There's coffee in the kitchen."

"I suppose I'm getting that myself" Jareth said. He stood up and left the room. Sarah heard him open a few cupboards before obviously finding the mugs. He was back shortly after that. "Writing this morning?"

"Catching up on the news actually" Sarah replied. Sarah watched him move about the room, sipping his coffee, looking at her things. He picked up a snow globe that had a white owl inside of it. He held it upside down, then right side up. "My dad gave that to me."

"You seem to like owls" Jareth noted. He counted four owls on the shelf with the snow globe. There were more around the room.

"Don't think it's because of you" Sarah said leaning back in her office chair. "I've always liked owls."

Sarah's doorbell rang. Jareth perked up.

"It's Sunday" Sarah said in a tone that suggested she had forgotten something. Sarah was out of her chair, heading for the door with Jareth close behind her. She pulled the door open and found Reese standing there with a box of doughnuts in hand.

"Pumpkin doughnut?" Reese asked as the door opened. He smiled when he saw Jareth and waggled his eyebrows at Sarah. "Someone's had a good night."

"Shut up Reese" Sarah said letting him in. "This is Jareth. Jareth, this is Reese." They shook hands. "Sunday is doughnut morning-flea market day."

"Where did you two meet?" Reese asked. Jareth smiled at Sarah.

"We've known each other for a while now" Jareth replied. "I just…got back to the states."

Reese took off his navy peacoat and hung it up on a coat hook next to Sarah's peacoat. He was dressed in grey trousers, a light pink dress shirt, and his tan plaid scarf. He looked at the two standing next to him.

"If you'll pardon me, I'll get dressed" Jareth excused himself. As soon as he went down the hall, Reese turned to Sarah and gave her an over the top expression of wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

"In the kitchen" Sarah pushed him. Reese and his doughnuts were prodded into the kitchen. Sarah brought him some coffee and poured more into her cup.

"You whore!" Reese hissed at her. He smiled his usual smug grin. "I thought you didn't date."

"We're not dating. He's staying in the guest room" Sarah said. She handed Reese a paper towel. He was starting in on the first doughnut from the pack.

"Is he going with us?" Reese asked. "Why didn't you mention him being here?"

"He just showed up" Sarah said. "He's going with us."

"Unless that's a problem" Jareth suggested from kitchen entrance. He was in jeans and a simple long-sleeved shirt, coffee in hand. "Did Sarah mention the cops that were here last night?"

"I don't recall ever getting a phone call about that" Reese said with a look at Sarah. Sarah reached for a doughnut and Reese slapped her hand away. "Be gone with ye wench! No doughnuts for the undressed!" Sarah rolled her eyes and stomped to her room. "Continue, Jareth…cops?"

"Apparently Sarah's had a prowler outside and someone called the police about it" Jareth replied. He moved to lean against the kitchen island, facing Reese. Reese held out the doughnuts and Jareth took one, smelling it before he took a bite.

"That asshole was back?" Reese asked. He shook his head. "He was here the other night too, right outside her window. This guy was in all black and he just tapped on Sarah's window."

"I showed up after the cops came and went" Jareth said. "I don't think we had any problems last night." Jareth took another bite of the pumpkin doughnut. "This is quite good."

"We like this brand. It's local" Reese said. Acting as if he had been there long enough to move about the kitchen without any troubles, Jareth filled his coffee and returned to his spot.

"I'm in town for a while" Jareth stated. "What are the plans for today? I know you two have quite the schedule worked out week to week."

"She's mentioned me, huh?" Reese asked. "On Sundays we tend to do coffee and doughnuts until 6am, and then we drive around going to open markets, flea markets, and stuff." Sarah came back into the kitchen. She had pulled on tights, a knit tunic, and tall boots. "You look about ready."

"Give me a few minutes and I'll be totally ready" Sarah replied. She took a doughnut and went to grab a paper towel. "Where are we starting?"

"I was thinking that we could go to Yesmuth's Market and then head out to get pumpkins" Reese said. Reese pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. He held it out to Sarah. "I found this the other day. There's a new orchard opening up. We could go pick some pears."

"No orchards" Jareth ordered sharply. Reese's eyebrows rose in disbelief. Sarah put the brochure down, barely even looking at it. Reese couldn't believe Sarah had just followed orders. "Sorry, I have…allergies."

"Yeah?" Reese said. He stood up straight and watched Jareth. "Weird sort of allergies."

"They are bizarre indeed" Jareth replied. Sarah nearly stepped between them.

"Jareth" Sarah said with a smile. "Why don't you tell Reese what you do?" Her speaking had distracted the two men, who looked like they were about to start arguing. She moved to the coffee pot and refilled her cup. "Anyone need more coffee?"

"I could use some" Jareth said. He held his cup out and she topped it off. "Thank you."

"You're welcome" Sarah said softly. "Reese is the manager of a local bookstore."

"Perhaps I should go put some shoes on" Jareth suggested. He set his coffee down and slipped out of the kitchen. Reese gave Sarah and look and Sarah lightly hit him in the stomach.

"What are you doing?" They both hissed at each other.

"He is my guest" Sarah whispered.

"He gave you a fucking order" Reese replied. "What the hell was that all about? Is this a sex thing?"

"Stop it" Sarah said giving him another light whack. "Reese, look, he's a guy that you really don't want to piss off, okay? He's fine. He's a good guy, okay?"

"Whatever you say, princess" Reese said.

The trio wandered through Yesmuth's Market, which prided itself on being the earliest open market in the city and its breakfast delights. Jareth watched Sarah and Reese laugh over little trinkets and browse through the produce. The rain had left the air chilly, but the sun was shining this morning. Sarah, like Reese, had a scarf around her neck. She wore a loden green polo coat that stopped at her thigh. The green was earthy and made her look incredibly approachable. Jareth had pulled a black duffle coat from his room.

"What is this?" Jareth asked holding up an oversized multicolored tomato. Sarah laughed.

"Really?" Sarah asked. Jareth smelled it. "It's an heirloom tomato."

"Oh" Jareth replied. He put it back with the rest. Reese was flirting with a produce clerk. Sarah looked uninterested and moved to look at a selection of felted hats. She slid a purple hat onto her head and Jareth found himself smiling. "I don't think that's the right one for you."

Sarah put the hat back and walked with Jareth to the next group of tables. "Have you been busy with people wishing babies away?"

"It goes in waves" Jareth replied. He picked up bentwood box and looked inside. It was large enough for two decks of playing cards. "Most of the time the people don't make it very far in the Labyrinth."

"Guess I was a clever kid" Sarah said. Jareth smiled and agreed with her.

By noon, the trio seemed comfortable with each other. They had picked out a few pumpkins at the pumpkin farm. Sarah had made Jareth try something she called wassail. Reese had gotten a phone number from a guy selling used books, while Sarah had found a lovely Victorian mirror that "just seems right".

"What do you think of this?" Jareth asked before they left their last flea market. He had an orange scarf around his neck. Sarah and Reese both shook their heads 'no'.

"You are definitely" Reese said pulling out a turquoise scarf. "Not an orange person. Try this." Jareth switched scarves. "See? They don't call me fairy for nothing."

"What?" Jareth asked. Sarah shook her head to quiet him and paid for the scarf.

"Let's get going" Sarah said. "I still need to pull something out for dinner."

The trio walked to the vehicle, putting their purchased items in the back seat next to Jareth. Jareth found himself enjoying his first day in the Aboveground. Usually he only appeared just long enough to whisk away some unruly child or as an owl.

Reese pulled up along the sidewalk, instead of pulling in behind Sarah. "Sorry to just drop you off. I need to go to the pet store."

"That's okay" Sarah said with a smile. "We have some stuff to do." Jareth was already leaving the vehicle. "Are you coming over to my parents for their fall dinner this year?"

"I'll go" Reese said. "What about him?"

"I'll be there" Jareth replied. "If business allows."

Sarah smiled at Reese and called out to Jareth. "Get the pumpkins."

Sarah and Jareth jostled a few bags and the three medium pumpkins. Sarah waved to Reese and hurried to beat Jareth to the front door so she could unlock it.

"Oh my god" Sarah said. Three deep claw marks ran deep in the door. Sarah unlocked the door and held it open for Jareth. They set their items down and went to take a better look at the door. Jareth, with the cover of the storm door, produced a crystal and quickly fixed the door.

"Looks like its back" Jareth stated. He ushered Sarah inside and threw the lock into place. Sarah was taking off her coat and scarf. "I overheard some stuff this morning."

"Like what?" Sarah asked. She went to the dining table where the pumpkins and bags were.

"Does Reese often tease you about not dating?" Jareth asked. Sarah pulled a bundle of carrots and some local berries from a bag to put them away.

"It doesn't bother me" Sarah said. She shut the fridge door and looked at him. "Does it bother you?"

Jareth raised an eyebrow and emptied out the other two bags. On the table were Sarah's new mirror and a strange gnome like felted figure, a book from one of the many used book sellers, a 1lb bag of local nuts, and a small white box. Sarah took the nuts and put them into a cabinet.

"Was the dinner you mentioned to Reese your parents annual fall dinner?" Jareth asked. Sarah picked up her mirror and gnome figure, and handed the white box to Jareth.

"Yes" Sarah answered. She went to her study with Jareth following her.

"What is this?" Jareth asked. He shook the box and heard something inside. Sarah put the gnome figure on her shelf with some other figures. She turned and watched Jareth open the box. It was a lapel pin of a peach.

"It made me think of you" Sarah said with a shrug. "I know it's kind of dumb."

"You bought me something?" Jareth asked. "I mean, other than the scarf?"

"Well, yeah" Sarah replied. She gave him a look as if he was the strange one. She crossed the small study and took the pin from him. She held the mirror under arm as she pinned it on his shirt near his collar of his simple Henley. "Peaches are a symbol of immortality, spring, and good luck."

Sarah stepped back, holding her mirror in her hand once again. Jareth looked perturbed and ran a hand through his short hair.

"Thank you" Jareth simply said. He pulled his shirt down, enough so he could see the pin again. "Does this mean we're…friends?"

"I suppose it does" Sarah replied. "As long as you don't turn me into a goblin."

"That would be a shame, wouldn't it?" Jareth asked rhetorically. He gave her a smile and they were off to the kitchen. Sarah told him they would carve the large squash.

 **NOTE: Hope you guys are enjoying this. The next chapter is going to get dark - fair warning. See you on the facebook group ( ) and over at DreamPeaches . Com**


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't think this is going to come off" Jareth said scrubbing his hands and arms again in the sink. Merf had joined them, but only for the fact that he could munch on bits of pumpkin that they had carved away.

"Just finish up. It comes off" Sarah replied. She had washed up first and was currently waiting for the oven to heat up so she could put the pumpkin seeds into the oven.

"I'm not sure I quite understand why you people carve food to look like faces" Jareth said washing soap from his forearms. "You don't even end up eating these pumpkins."

"Its fun" Sarah replied. The oven beeped to signal that it was ready and Sarah slid in the seasoned pumpkin seeds. Jareth dried his hands and forearms.

"You wouldn't happen to have anything stronger than coffee or tea, would you?" Jareth asked. Sarah pointed to the only cabinet doors that had a frosted glass front, the rest were solid wood. Jareth opened the cabinets revealing a few various types of whiskey, various bottles for making cocktails, and a small bartending guide. Jareth pulled out two glasses and the items needed for a proper cocktail.

"What are you making?" Sarah asked him. He made the drinks without batting an eye. Ice cubes, whiskey, a few dashes of bitters, simple syrup, and a splash of water. He put the items back in the cupboard and turned to Sarah, handing her a drink.

"We need to talk terms Sarah" Jareth sternly replied.

"Can you give me 5 minutes for my seeds?" Sarah asked.

"Certainly" Jareth said. He moved past her. "I'll be in your study."

The pumpkin seeds lingered in the oven for the next few minutes. The timer buzzed a little too loudly. Sarah had watched it count down and she still jumped a little when it sounded off. Sarah pulled the seeds out, then dumped them into a medium size bowl so she could take them with her to the study.

Jareth was in the study looking through Sarah's things again. When she entered, he picked up a purse that looked exactly like a toad. He looked a little confused by it.

"That's a toad coin purse" Sarah informed him. "Karen got that for me in New Orleans when I was in college. She told me that it reminded her of the Frog Prince story."

"It's made from a real toad?" Jareth asked running a long finger over the tanned hide. He sipped his drink. "Grotesque."

"Want some pumpkin seeds?" Sarah asked. Jareth took a few seeds and firmly planted himself in Sarah's guest chair. Sarah followed his gesture and sat in her desk chair. "You want to talk terms?"

"Indeed" Jareth said firmly. Sarah sipped at her drink. She recognized it immediately as an old fashioned. Jareth lifted up a copy of her last published novel. "As we established, help is rarely free." Sarah ate a seed slowly, watching him the entire time. "What I want is minute, so incredibly small, compared to the task of ridding you of this beastie."

"Is it really?" Sarah asked not believing him for a moment. Jareth set his glass on the edge of her desk and settled back in the chair, flipping through her book.

"Absolutely" Jareth replied. He stopped on a page and looked at her. "If you don't mind." He cleared his throat. " _The mysterious wizard, in all of his glory, stalked towards Evelyn like a predator approaching prey. Evelyn was mesmerized by his dark gaze. His dark features and dark clothes made him appear almost as bird-like as the ravens he kept. Evelyn felt herself compelled by his fierce darkness to hand over the stone she had so desperately sought out._ " Jareth stopped reading and looked up at Sarah. "So on and so forth."

"What about it?" Sarah asked with a shrug. "'The Raven's Maze' sold 50,000 copies in the first quarter."

"In every story, you have Evelyn and Brennain, the mysterious raven-like wizard" Jareth said. He retrieved his drink and took a sip, taking his time to accentuate the pause the drink provided. "This is supposed to be us, right?"

"Huh?" Sarah's eyes got wide and she stopped herself from putting another seasoned pumpkin seed in her mouth. She wanted to shake her head violently 'no', but instead she just got a little loud. "These stories don't take place in the Labyrinth. There aren't any goblins or babies being wished away. It's all fantasy. Sword and sorcery fantasy with fairies and elves—"

"And a girl who is obviously you" Jareth said firmly. Sarah straightened up at that.

"She might be kind of like me, but that's only natural" Sarah insisted. Jareth cocked his head to one side, his short hair falling across his eyes.

"Who is the wizard based on?" Jareth asked. "All through your books he can produce crystal balls."

Sarah narrowed her eyes at Jareth for a moment. "Odin."

"Odin" Jareth repeated. He nodded. "Odin sure is known for his use of crystals, isn't he?" Jareth stood up and plopped the book down on Sarah's desk. He picked up his drink and started looking around the room again. "I would like you to be a little kinder to Brennain, perhaps allow Evelyn to understand him more. Turn the tables on your readers."

Sarah watched him lurk about the room, touching her hanging fairies and feeling the texture of a long sea serpent that Toby had made for her out of clay. Her editor had once asked her for a back story on Brennain, but she had pushed the idea away. She finished her drink and set it down.

"Let me get this straight" Sarah said. "You want me to write a story where Brennain and Evelyn…understand one another?"

"Such a little task" Jareth said with a smirk. He picked up a glass crystal ball and twirled it on one hand. "You really have some interesting trinkets in here, Sarah."

"Jareth" Sarah sighed. She rubbed her temples before continuing. "You know I just sent a new manuscript to my publisher. I need some time between books or I'll get burnt out."

"You can begin as soon as this beast is gone" Jareth said as if a few days were ample time to recover from a large writing project. "You have a few story ideas in that computer contraption of yours. Just use one of those."

Sarah ran her hands through her hair, untangling any knots her fingers caught on. She spied a hair tie near her keyboard and grabbed it. She twisted her hair into a high bun and secured it into place. Jareth headed back over to her, perching on the edge of her desk, enjoying watching her fix her hair. He still had the crystal ball in one hand. As soon as he set his glass down, the crystal was rolled to the other hand.

"Why do you care about a handful of novels anyway?" Sarah asked. She picked up the novel that was on her desk. She might have thought about Jareth a little while constructing the character of Brennain, but only at first. "It's not like my work is on the best-seller list or anything."

Sarah watched as Jareth rolled the crystal to his fingertips and brought it to the desk. It looked as if he was going to slam it onto the desk with force, but it barely made a sound. Jareth picked up her mirror and looked at himself in it.

"It's the principle of the matter" Jareth replied simply. He bent over her shoulder, holding the mirror out for her to see. Sarah watched as she saw herself in the mirror dancing with Jareth. It was the crystal ballroom, but she was her current age instead of her 15 year old self. "You never understood most everything."

Jareth slipped the mirror into her hands and backed away, moving to perch on her desk again. Sarah watched herself dance with Jareth in the mirror for a few more heartbeats before putting the mirror down.

"Will you write the story?" Jareth asked. Sarah watched as he leaned down closer to her, menacing as he ever had been. His nose was close to hers. "I am hoping that our time together will help inspire you." Sarah's blush was, she was sure, a reaction to his close proximity. "I'm sure I can be your muse."

Jareth smiled. Sarah looked completely flustered, beautiful and flustered.

"You're a lot of things" Sarah said softly. "But not a muse." The doorbell rang through the house breaking the tension that was growing between them. Sarah stood up. "Excuse me."

Jareth caught her wrist as she made to leave the room. "Will you write the story?"

"Fine. Yes" Sarah agreed. He let her go and she went to check out who was ringing her doorbell.

.

.

The person at the door had been a neighbor stopping by to ask Sarah if she would check their mail over the next few days since they would be out of town. For a brief moment, before Sarah had glanced out the peephole, she feared that it would be the black creature again. Lurking. Ready to tap on the window. She shivered just at the thought of it. Now she was sitting on the couch with Jareth watching a film that she hadn't bothered to really pay attention to. Her mind was trolling over what he had said and how he had acted in the study. She was more than capable of writing romance scenes in her novels, but in real life...? Had he been about ready to kiss her? It was probably just her imagination and the stress from recent events.

Sarah had stopped dating by choice. She had tried dating in high school and in college, but it never lived up to what was in her mind. The boys fumbled everything and the college guys had either been selfish or overly emotional. She finally had an epiphany during her last year of school that she could get more work done if she just stopped dating and trying to find the "right guy". A self-made social pariah, people just had a tough time accepting it. Now, she was so out of practice, even with simple flirting, that she couldn't tell what was going on.

"Are you alright?" Jareth finally asked. Sarah had been curled up along the arm of the couch watching him with a weird blank stare. Sarah just responded with 'uh-huh' which was more of a sound than an actual response. He looked past her, at the window. The afternoon felt as if it had flown by. "It's starting to get dark out."

Sarah turned to glance at the window. The lovely day was fading into night. "Will it come back tonight?"

"Yes" Jareth said matter-of-factly. "I should ask what you did to attract such a dark creature."

"I didn't do anything" Sarah defensively replied. Jareth had watched Sarah with the remote enough to figure out how to turn down the volume on the television.

"Obviously you did something" Jareth prodded. The telephone rang and Sarah hurried to answer it.

"Sarah, the fall dinner is going to be tomorrow night" Karen said over the phone. "We were going to wait until Friday, but your father has some people from work who want to show up. I think they have a business trip coming up or something. You're showing up, right?"

"Yep" Sarah replied into the phone. "Yeah, I'm showing up. Put me down with a plus two."

"Reese and one of his boyfriends?" Karen asked.

"Reese and a friend of mine" Sarah said. Jareth was watching her from the couch. Sarah rested her head against the wall. She wasn't really listening to Karen prattle on about the dinner until Karen said the words that Sarah wanted to hear.

"See you tomorrow night Sarah" Karen finally said.

"See you then" Sarah said hanging up. She hung the phone up and turned to find Jareth standing behind her. She made a noise, startled by his closeness and ability to be as stealthy as a cat. She moved to walk around Jareth, but the effort was fruitless as Jareth reached out and pulled her to him. "Jareth, I don't-" He stopped her with a kiss. Part of Sarah began to swoon, delighted about the kiss and the handsome man and the looks he had been giving her. The other part of her brain, the majority, told her 'no' and that it would only lead to problems just like everything else. Hoping it was the right thing to do, Sarah pushed Jareth away. "I don't do that anymore."

Jareth's face betrayed him with looks of confusion. "What?" He let her go and watched her put space between them. Her pale skin was glowing with an embarrassed blush. "What do you mean?"

"I don't do THAT. I don't do any of THAT" Sarah said loudly. She crossed and uncrossed her arms, then finally crossed them again. "It's ridiculous and utterly pointless."

"Not always so" Jareth replied cautiously. He followed her into the living room where she was pacing around.

"Yeah, well I'd rather focus on work and getting rid of that thing" Sarah said matter-of-factly. Jareth held up his hands and returned to the couch.

"We will just have to wait until it shows up" Jareth said calmly. Sarah padded around the house instead of returning to the couch.

.

.

Sarah had taken to cleaning her kitchen. For two hours she scrubbed and sanitized until her kitchen reeked of cleaners. Jareth had spent these two hours exploring the television and keeping an eye on her.

 _You're a self-made social pariah_ , Sarah's brain told her. _You can do whatever you want to do, even if you know you're just going to end up like you always do, hurt and alone._ It was a constant battle that she contended with, though over the years it had significantly lessened. If she was going to be honest with herself, she barely even thought about romance in her personal life. It was something she left to books and movies.

"Sarah, not to bother you or anything" Jareth began from the kitchen entrance. "Can you breathe in here?"

"Hmm?" Sarah asked. Her brain was mumbling to her and she hadn't even heard him move around. Jareth was quick to pull two bottles of perrier, which Sarah had enlightened him as being "bubbling water", from the fridge and pulled her from the kitchen.

"All that cleaning has gone to your head" Jareth told her. He handed her a bottle of water and pushed her down on the couch. He sat next to her and opened his bottle of water. "I ordered food."

"You did?" Sarah asked. She couldn't recall him using the phone. Jareth laughed and shook his head.

"Do you always treat your house guests this way?" Jareth asked. He nudged her shoulder with his, trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe I'm just special."

"You..."Sarah searched for words. She took a sip of her water and saw headlights dance on her curtains. It had grown dark outside while she had cleaned. "I think the food is here."

Sarah got up, pulling her wallet from her purse, and answered the door just as the delivery guy walked up. "Food for Williams?"

"That's me" Sarah replied. Jareth had ordered Chinese food and Sarah was surprised at how hungry she seemed to be once she smelled it.

"It's paid for" The delivery guy said taking off.

"Thanks" Sarah called after him. She shut the door and locked it. Jareth looked amused. "You paid for it?"

"My treat" Jareth replied. "My way of saying sorry for earlier."

Sarah went along with everything, despite her brain asking where Jareth got the money or credit card or whatever he used to pay for dinner. Sarah had just peeked into every container when there was a knock on her door. Sarah took a quick glance out the window and frowned. There wasn't a vehicle in the drive, other than her own, and she couldn't see anyone on her stoop.

"I don't see anyone" Sarah reported. Jareth was across the room in no time. He had been waiting for an opportunity to extend his powers. The feeling was similar to being in a cramped car and needing to get out to stretch one's legs.

"Air doesn't knock on doors" Jareth stated. Sarah was a few steps behind him. He unlocked the door and opened it with Sarah breathing out 'no'.

Darkness sat on the stoop. The house across the street was partially blocked by it. The creature was tall and aside from the extremities, the only feature that could be seen was the shine of silver from the eyes. Sarah stepped towards Jareth. The creature elicited fear as if by pheromone and the feeling of dread like an aura.

"Who are you?" Jareth demanded. "What do you want?"

The creature breathed out through its nose, sounding a lot like a horse. The creature's extra long fingers flexed. There were sounds emanating from the creature that sounded like trees breaking and scraping along the ground. Sarah unconsciously let out a small moan.

"I want" The creature said in an uncommonly low voice. "What is mine."

"What would that be?" Jareth demanded in a growl. The dark creature made a sound like a yowl of a cougar mixed with a low rolling grumble. It raised a finger and pointed to Sarah.

"I want" It said again slowly. "What is mine."

"If Sarah is anybody's, she is mine!" Jareth spat out. The creature snorted, fogging up the glass on the storm door. Jareth lifted a hand, producing two orbs. "Give me a reason."

"Give me back" The creature gritted through its teeth. "What is mine."

"I don't know what he's talking about" Sarah whispered behind Jareth. It was so choked back with fear that he almost hadn't heard it.

"I want what is mine!" The black thing snarled. Jareth stepped forward, leaving very little distance and the closed storm door between them.

"You are not welcome here" Jareth stated coldly. Sarah could almost see Jareth as he first appeared to her when she was 15, just from his harsh voice. Sarah shook her head 'no'. "Leave, NOW."

Long fingers touched the glass on the storm door and trailed down, nearly to the bottom of the door. Sarah's head shook 'no' faster until her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest with fear.

"Go AWAY!" Sarah shrieked. The creature hesitated, but took a step away from the door. It moved slowly off the stoop and the darkness formed into a black dog that ran off with a snarl.

Jareth closed the door and locked it. He turned to Sarah and found her nearly frozen in place with fear. He touched her terrified face. She was trying to wrap her mind around the creature that had just departed. Jareth shushed her and pulled her into a hug. It wasn't until she was squeezed that she started to cry like a frightened child.


	6. Chapter 6

It had taken a while for Sarah to calm down, but now she sat on the couch bundled in a blanket and softly shaking as she ate spicy beef and broccoli from the box. Jareth had found something that looked relatively light hearted on the television and hoped that it helped take her mind off of things.

"Feeling better?" Jareth asked.

"I guess" Sarah replied. She put her carton down and took an eggroll. She watched Jareth when he stood up. He set his food down and headed down the hall. Sarah felt suddenly hot and cold all at the same time. She glanced at the window. The curtains were pulled tightly together and there hadn't been any disturbances since the creature had left. She swiveled her head around and looked at the patio door. It too was free of disturbances. Relief spread through Sarah when Jareth returned. He had changed his pants for loose flannels.

"You can go change into something comfortable if you'd like" Jareth said. He had started to close the Chinese food boxes. "I'll clean up."

"Alone?" Sarah asked. She mentally thumped herself for being so childish. Jareth raised an eyebrow at her. She stood up, tossing her blanket aside. She left the room with the egg roll in hand. Jareth cleaned up, as he told Sarah he would. He was concerned about his dark haired beauty, but had news that might help her hold onto the situation. The boxes of food fit into the fridge nicely. Jareth snagged a wet rag and brought it out to clean up the coffee table.

He smiled as Sarah came back into the living room. She was in sweatpants and a t-shirt. "We need to talk about our visitor, if you're up for it."

"Is it back?" Sarah asked fearfully. She touched the wall of the hallway and looked at the window.

"No" Jareth replied. He tossed the rag into the kitchen and pulled her back to the couch. "It's safe." As soon as she sat down, he sat and faced her. "I think I know what it is."

"You do?" Sarah asked. Jareth ran a hand through his hair.

"Seeing it up close and hearing it" Jareth started. "I believe it's a bogie."

"A bogie?" Sarah said. "I thought bogies were types of goblins."

"They technically are, but not many bogies reside in my kingdom" Jareth replied. He had a stern look of hidden concern. His fingers fidgeted, making circles with each other and drumming softly. "Many bogies are solitary. They travel through the various kingdoms or stand territorially over a particular spot that is often between worlds. They can be friendly or completely terrifying."

"How do we get rid of it?" Sarah asked. She reached out and placed a hand over Jareth's in a comforting manner. "Do we kill it?"

"It varies" Jareth said holding her gaze. He slipped one of his hands over Sarah's, holding it in place. "This one seems to believe you're his. Did you do something I don't know about?"

Sarah thought about it. "Are you sure?" Jareth tilted his head slightly. "That bogie said that it wants what is his."

"And it pointed at you" Jareth insisted. Sarah thought about the black creature again and shook her head.

"What if I just have something that it wants?" Sarah asked. "Could that be a possibility with a bogie?"

Jareth kissed the back of her hand and smiled at her. "You've always been clever. We need to find what it wants."

"We don't even know what it could be" Sarah worried. Jareth stood up, pulling her along with him. "It could be anything!"

"It's a bogie" Jareth stated. "They tend to like pretty old things or things that are flashy like jewels and gold or unique natural items." Jareth turned the television off and pulled Sarah towards the hallway. "Let's start in your study."

It didn't take long for Sarah to form a pile of things that she had either recently purchased, was an antique, or was some newly acquired natural creation. Jareth had first entered her study and would pick up an item, ask about it, and put it back in its place. Sarah had ordered him to sit while she took over. Talking about each and every item was not what she felt like doing.

Jareth was looking at the items on the desk. Sarah had walked around the room a few times, picking out more things each time. Jareth picked up a stone with a hole in it, which Sarah called a "fairy stone", and looked through it.

"I think that's it" Sarah said. She placed a few old bottle caps on the table. "I found these on my run one day."

"Bottle caps?" Jareth asked. He put down the stone and picked one up. "Possibly, but probably not. A lot of fae stay away from human-made metals."

"That's kind of weird" Sarah commented. She picked up a bottle cap and ran her finger over the rough edge. This particular bottle cap was an old Coke cap from the 50s or 60s - at least that was Sarah's guess.

"You humans have claimed for hundreds of years that iron can kill us" Jareth said. He was looking at a vintage pair of glasses. "Most just try to stay away. That's why people don't claim to see the fae or even the little flower fairies anymore. Better to err on the side of safety."

Jareth put the glasses on and looked up at Sarah. The tortoise shell cat eyes were not his style and Sarah couldn't help but chuckle.

"Lovely" Sarah prodded. Jareth smiled and took them off; happy that he could assist in fixing Sarah's frayed nerves. "Should we just ask the bogie if one of these is it?"

"That would offend it" Jareth replied. He ran a finger over an old ring and picked up a small ceramic figurine of a girl in a gold dress. It had chocolate colored hair and pink cheeks and lips. Jareth looked up at Sarah. The ceramic figure was frozen in a dance step. The figure looked strikingly like Sarah and even had green dots for eyes. "Tell me about this one."

"Reese found that two weeks ago" Sarah said. "We went to Derry, which is about an hour drive from here, and ended up at this little antique store. He said it looked like me and look—" Sarah pushed the figure around in Jareth's hand so he could see the bottom of it. "It even says 'Sarah'."

"I think this is quite possibly what we're looking for" Jareth said with a smile. He saw the twinkle in Sarah's eyes and felt himself take a deep breath. "It's a lovely figurine, just like you."

Sarah balked at the compliment and stood upright. She sputtered for a second before pursing her lips. "Jareth…"

Jareth stood up, taking pleasure in standing a little too close to her. He leaned into her, making her lean against the desk, as he put the figurine behind her with the other items. He smirked and ran a hand through his hair. Sarah's cheeks were blushing.

"Are you okay?" Jareth asked with false concern. His smirk turned into a smile, especially when he gently pushed some hair behind her ear. Sarah gave a slightly confused, vague noise that almost sounded like 'fine'. Jareth leaned in close enough to brush the tip of his nose against her cheek. "I think I'm going to retire for the night." He pressed his leg against hers. "I have some reading to catch up on."

Sarah gasped when he moved away from her. Her blush had deepened and her mouth was hanging open. Jareth smiled and took a backwards step towards the door.

"Don't lose that figurine" Jareth said with a smile. He pushed his hair from his eyes and left Sarah leaning against her desk, doing her best deer-in-headlights impression.

.

.

Sarah spent two hours blankly staring at her computer. She had checked her social media sites like always, browsed pinterest, and read the news, but the only thing she could think about was how her stomach had fluttered when Jareth's nose had brushed against her cheek. Her brain railed against her.

 _What are you thinking?_ Sarah asked herself yet again. She had no answer. Instead she glanced at the clock and sighed. It was almost 10pm and sleep was starting to sound wonderful. She could sleep and not worry about anything until she woke up. It didn't take any prodding for her to turn off her computer and lights in her study.

Sarah stood in the hallway looking into her dark bedroom. Her feet weren't moving. In her mind, she kept hearing the tapping noises from the window and the bogies' deep raking voice.

 _Don't be silly. Jareth told you it wouldn't be back tonight_ , Sarah told herself. She scowled and reached out to flip the light on. She wanted to barricade the windows and make them sound proof. She forced herself to enter her bedroom. It was quiet. Checking the blinds, to make sure they were as tightly closed as they could possibly be, Sarah felt that she would have to be satisfied with it. She lightly closed her door and changed into a mint green nightgown. It wasn't anything special. It hung loosely on her like a sack rather than a fitted pretty nightgown. Sarah had picked it out because it was soft, had some leaves embroidered around the v-neck, and was sleeveless.

There was a metallic, hollow pop sound from the wall. Sarah closed her eyes and touched the end of her hair. It was just the heat coming on. She had heard the sound loads of times before, but tonight she just wasn't having it. She opened her eyes and opened her door. She had left the hallway light on.

The second Sarah turned the hallway light off; she felt anxious fear run up her back. She stepped lightly and stood in front of her open bedroom door. The light spilled out across her feet, but entering her bedroom was not something she wanted to do. Her mind replayed images of the bogie running its long fingers along the storm door.

"Merf?" Sarah whispered. She looked around, but didn't see the roly-poly goblin. Her feet felt glued to the spot she was in. "Merf, are you around?"

"He's not here right now" Jareth said from behind Sarah. Sarah nearly jumped straight up, but her feet felt heavy. Instead she stepped, moving her heavy feet slowly, and shot daggers at Jareth for startling her. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"You failed" Sarah whispered trying to regain her composure. He stood in his doorway only wearing his flannel pants and his pendant. Sarah realized that she hadn't seen his pendant since he had made his style change to fit in. She looked away from him before he could accuse her of blatantly staring at his shirtless chest. "I was just heading to bed."

"Certain of that?" Jareth asked. Sarah nodded, staring at him again. He was lean and muscular like a dancer.

"I was just—I thought—I just keep thinking about the bogie" Sarah muttered. Jareth's eyes felt piercing. Sarah lifted a hand and rubbed her neck. "Dumb, I guess."

"That seems fairly rational" Jareth replied softly. He stepped close to her, letting a hand drift to her waist, and guided her to her bedroom. "You have a very non-threatening bedroom here, you know. There's your bed, your walls, floor, ceiling…"

"I know" Sarah snapped. "I know that. I know I shouldn't be frightened."

"Would you like me to check your closet and under your bed?" Jareth prodded. Sarah rolled her eyes and looked ready to demand he stop treating her like a child. Jareth laughed and looked around her room to avoid her starting a tirade. Sarah rubbed her face and groaned.

"I'm whipped" Sarah grumbled. She didn't move towards the bed. The windows overlooked her bed.

"I'll be right back" Jareth whispered to her. He left her standing in the room and it left goosebumps on her arms. The only personality the bedroom had was the soft black mink blanket Sarah had as a comforter.

 _I could use a picture or something in here_ , Sarah mused to herself. The sound of a light being turned off made Sarah glance at her bedroom door. The hallway was completely dark, including the light that emerged from the guest room. Jareth walked in with a book in hand.

"Get in bed" Jareth ordered softly. He padded around the room, turning on a side lamp and turning off the overhead light. Sarah did as she was told and watched him move around the room until he was crawling onto her bed.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked in a small voice. He smiled and settled into the large bed. He opened his book.

"I was going to read until you fell asleep" Jareth said matter-of-factly. Sarah absently twirled her hair in her fingers. She slowly lay down, but kept an eye on him.

"What are you reading?" Sarah finally asked.

"It's just a fiction" Jareth replied. Sarah let him read and felt herself relax more than she wanted to admit.

.

.

Sarah wasn't sure of the time when she woke up, but she was surprised to find the lights off and an arm draped over her midsection. She grumbled and looked at the spot next to her. Jareth was sleeping on his stomach with an arm casually stretched across her. His book was on the pillow near his head. Sarah could see it in the small amount of moonlight that was able to shine below the blinds. She moved it so it was on the nightstand, next to the lamp.

Sarah didn't move the royal arm draped across her or protest in any way. She simply closed her eyes and let sleep carry her back to dreamland.

.

.

Jareth found himself draped over Sarah upon waking. Sometime in the night he had draped an arm across her and he felt one of his legs entwined with hers. Sarah was softly breathing and still completely asleep. He raised himself enough to see her clock, happy that it read 4:23am. He lay back down and watched his sleeping beauty until drifting back to sleep.

.

.

"Sarah" Jareth whispered to her. She stirred and groaned. She turned her head towards her clock before even opening her eyes. Full awareness came to her like a splash of cold water once she saw the clock reading 6:29am.

"Oh my god!" Sarah hissed. She looked up, finally realizing that Jareth was not only in bed with her, but was perched half over her so he could look down at her. "What are you doing?"

"Waking you up" Jareth said simply. "You slept in. I thought you needed the extra sleep."

"Slept in" Sarah repeated. She was wrapping her head around the near-foreign concept. She kept her gaze on Jareth, who was just giving her a small early morning smile. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"You're lovely to watch when you sleep" Jareth said softly. He leaned closer, maintaining his whisper. "You looked peaceful."

"You slept here with me?" Sarah asked in a hushed tone. It was a dumb question because it was very obvious he had. "I mean, you didn't have to."

"Of course I did" Jareth breathed. He let his lips grace hers and was delighted when he felt her kiss him back. He deepened the kiss, moving to run his hand along her shoulder and shoulder, and finally running a finger along her jaw. Sarah moaned and Jareth pulled back a little. Sarah's hand found its way to his waist to pull him closer. Sarah whimpered when Jareth pulled away to kiss her neck. In one smooth move, he was between her legs and his lips had simply trailed down along her clavicle.

Sarah's hands found their way around Jareth's shoulders. She watched him move up to kiss her again. For a microsecond, Sarah wondered if it was a dream. Over the years had had some fairly sordid dreams involving him. Jareth's lips found hers again, but this time it was demanding and consuming – a thirsty man who had found a desert oasis.

Sarah's mind flashed images of past Jareth dreams and stopped her cold with a replay of that night's dream. Sarah pushed Jareth away and moved a hand over her eyes.

"Sorry" Sarah whispered. Jareth moved her hand aside. He gave her a questioning look. "My brain is going over last night's dreams. It's habit."

"I don't mind that" Jareth said. Sarah sighed.

"I should just write it down" Sarah said softly. Sarah often recorded her stranger dreams, even if they were just a partial tidbit. In a swift motion, Jareth pinned her wrists to the bed.

"Write it down later" Jareth suggested. He leaned down so his lips hovered just above hers. "I need you right now."

Against her bullying brain, Sarah gave in to Jareth's seduction.


End file.
